1.6 Does Uncertainty Make Us More Likely to Believe Rumors? Public Issues Beneath the Headlines

Public Issues Beneath the Headlines | Sisyphus Express: In Depth

Sisyphus Express

🚘 In This Episode

Note: This episode was first published on March 31, 2025.

Welcome to Sisyphus Highway: In Depth.

In recent episodes, we discussed how rumors arise, why they are believed, and how they relate to media, gender, and women’s fate.

Here we widen the lens.

Whether in the tabloids surrounding Ruan Lingyu a century ago or the endless claims made during the pandemic, rumors seem to proliferate whenever society enters a period of acute uncertainty. They may concern disease, conspiracy, or a particular person,but what they answer is often people’s anxiety and fear of the unknown, or their need for some explanation.

Why does greater pressure make people more likely to believe a seemingly complete story? Why does clarifying the facts often fail to stop a rumor and instead become fresh material for its circulation? Once someone believes a narrative, are we discussing facts, or speaking to perceptions and emotions already formed and hardened?

Beginning with real cases from Misbelief, this episode discusses rumor during the pandemic and explores why people so urgently need a story that can explain the world in an age of uncertainty.